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Folding bikes by BERNDS
Welcome to our website!
Winner of the Eurobike Award 2009
We are delighted that you have visited our internet presentation and hope not only that you will find the information you are looking for, but that we will be able to convey something of the enthusiasm and passion with which we manufacture our products for you.
We wish you lots of riding enjoyment.
Yours,
Michaela Buchholz and Thomas Bernds
P.S.: If you are unable to find something or need further information, if you have any requests or suggestions, please do write to us!
What makes BERNDS' products stand out
- The BERNDS design
- The BERNDS family - intelligent, compact bikes
20" wheels: smaller, more robust, lighter
Why is it that nowadays almost only 28" or 26" wheels are in use? If you look at the development of the bicycle towards the end of the 19th century, at first bicycles with enormous wheel diameters predominated because with them it was easier to make progress on the bad roads of the period. It was only the development of pneumatic tyres and the building of better roads which helped the smaller wheel diameter and the bicycle in its present form to take over.
Nowadays the roads and the tyres available are incomparably better; a few years ago, there was once again a giant leap forward in the development of tyres when the new, easy-running, high-pressure balloon tyres came onto the market.
This is why BERNDS uses 20" wheels: they are lighter, more robust and of course more compact than 26 or 28-inch wheels.
BERNDS bikes are the result of consistent re-thinking of seemingly unshakeable tenets of bicycle building. Starting with the idea of a compact, all-round bike arose the foundation, still valid today, on which a BERNDS bike is built:
Main frame without hinged joints: in order to achieve as stable a ride as possible, BERNDS avoids using a hinged joint in the main frame. The exception is our Lowstep tandem, whose especially robust, special hinge admittedly implies an increased weight, but on the other hand allows the Lowstep to fit in the boot of a VW Golf.
Maintenance-free, sprung, rear swingarm: on all our BERNDS bikes we use the same sprung, rear swingarm. The elastomer suspension block is permanently maintenance-free, can be adjusted simply for each individual and makes for a pleasant ride even on bumpy roads.
BERNDS frame geometry: Compact dimensions combined with stable riding performance
BERNDS particular merit lies in having adapted the entire frame geometry to the 20" wheels. Above all, we have consistently designed the dimensions which affect steering to produce consummate riding performance. This, in conjunction with the robust, hingeless main frame, is what gives that special BERNDS feel when riding: on the one hand agile and lively, on the other always stable. To give you an idea: you can ride BERNDS bikes no-hands (by the way, this is not allowed and serves only as an illustration!).
High-quality steel frame from our own factory, optionally made to measure: BERNDS steel frames are made of high-quality steels and manufactured by ourselves. They are light and durable. The top tube and bottom bracket heights can be selected individually so that we can fit your requirements exactly.
For very tall or very short people: the adaptability and carrying capacity of our BERNDS bikes is unique: all our bikes are suitable for people from 1.40 m right up to 2.10 m tall. Even the folding bike can take a maximum payload of 140 kg; the tandem and the PACK-BERNDS can even be loaded with up to 260 kg.
BERNDS bikes - your health above all else!
Another special feature of BERNDS bikes besides their compactness is their adaptability. BERNDS takes care to design all parts which contribute to an optimum ergonomic position as standard components. This means you can select the right equipment for you, unlike other folding bike manufacturers where your freedom of choice is limited by their special parts.
BERNDS bikes – riding and taking your bike along for the ride
We have taken into account the fact that you will be taking your bike with you by other means of transport - by train or by car. This is where a BERNDS shows its compact size to full advantage, because BERNDS bikes even when unfolded are that essential bit more compact than classic 28" wheelers. When folded up they are wonderfully easy to transport.In the car: a BERNDS-Folding Bike fits in the car boot, for example, even in a Smart, and even the folding tandem can be carried inside a VW Golf, without the bother and extra outlay of mounting a bike rack.
By rail: your BERNDS-Folding Bike travels for free on all trains, including on the high-speed InterCity services. Even when unfolded, our BERNDS-Folding tandems save you the embarrassment of literally holding up the traffic. Because of their half-a-metre shorter length, even when unfolded, they fit no problem into the normal bike racks on the InterCity and Regional trains.
BERNDS has been building folding bikes since 1991. For its minimalist design with the solid single-tube frame, the 20-inch wheels and the elegant, folding rear wheel, BERNDS was awarded the well-known IF Design Prize at the Hanover Industrial Fair in 1991. Starting from this basic design, over the years BERNDS has developed a whole range of remarkable bicycles which, while fulfilling different requirements, nevertheless belong unmistakeably to the BERNDS family.